Following a test
this week, International Space Station flight controllers are optimistic
that one of the Station's batteries that has been disconnected from
the electrical system for several weeks may be usable if needed in
the future.

Designated Battery
1, it is one of six batteries on the Station. It was disconnected
from the electrical system following a large degradation in its performance
that was noted earlier this month. Previously, the battery's performance
had been noted to be only slightly degraded. The Station's other five
batteries are operating well and have been providing adequate power
for all Station systems.

As part of their
analysis of Battery 1, flight controllers for the Station in Moscow
reconnected the battery to the Station's electrical system for one
92-minute orbit early this week. During the reconnection, it operated
normally, although its performance appeared to remain slightly below
average as was expected. Engineers believe the slight degradation
in performance is due to one cell of the battery not operating properly,
but that the larger performance problem which led to its disconnection
earlier this month may have been an isolated event in the battery's
associated electronics that will not recur.

Engineers are
continuing to evaluate the battery and flight controllers may reconnect
it in another test later this week for about three orbits, or about
4.5 hours, to gather more information. The evaluation and testing
may lead controllers to deem the battery usable for future Station
operations. Regardless of the outcome, plans are being formulated
to replace the battery and its electronics with new equipment to be
carried aboard the next Shuttle mission to visit the Station, mission
STS-101 aboard Atlantis.

The Station remains
in a slow spin to conserve fuel and maintain proper temperatures in
an orbit with a high point of 249 statute miles and a low point of
236 statute miles. The complex has completed more than 4,440 orbits.
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